Installing Leopard 10.5.1 on PowerMac G4 MDD
I have a PowerMac G4 MDD dual processor 1.25 Ghz, 1.024 GB Ram, with 115 GB internal Apple issued hard drive. The ram, keyboard and mouse are Apple original issue.
I am running Mac OS X 10.2.1 (6R73) on the original hard drive.
I am attempting to install Leopard 10.5.1 from an Apple DVD. (The Family 5 pack license) and have not been successful despite many attempts.
The Apple Studio display is connected to an Apple issued video card. The Mac came with an Ultra SCSI card. I removed it.
I installed a new Seagate Barracuda 320 GB ATA/6 7200 RPM 3.5 16 MB on the same buss as the original hard drive. I did not move the original hard drive from its original position. The Seagate hard drive jumpers are set to Cable Select. This drive would not accept installation of Mac OS 10.5. It also would not Verify or Repair. “Invalid B-Tree Header” was an unrepairable error. I exchanged that drive for another identically rated drive, and began again.
I verified the 10.5.1 install disk media twice. No error messages. Visual inspection of disk shows some minor scuffs, but they were on the disk when received. The disk package was sealed.
I have formatted the target drive using Apple Disk Utility--the Mac OS 10.2.1. compatible version. It has passed the Verify routine many times.
I have run the “Install New System and the “Erase and Install” many times.
I have run a CD/DVD lens cleaning disk once. No help.
System preferences set to Never sleep. Screen saver turned off. Not connected to any network during install attempts.
No other PCI cards or any other modifications to the machine.
I created a new Administrator account, logged in and attempted an install. Install failed. Error message: Cannot validate “BaseSystem’ package.
On some install attempts, some files were written to the target hard drive but not enough to constitute a functional system “Install Failed” message appears after about 2-4 minutes.
On other attempts, the install would hang in less than 2-4 minutes.
I have an identical PowerMac G4 MDD dual processor 1.25 Ghz, 1.024 GB Ram, with 115 GB internal hard drive on which the 10.5 DVD Leopard disk installed on an identical Seagate 320 GB hard drive on the first attempt. Both G4’s were purchased new on the same date from the same retailer.
The only differences between my two G4 MDD’s are:
1. that the problem G4 is running 10.2.1 on the original hard drive, and the working G4 is running 10.2.8 on the original hard drive. (I am not attempting to install 10.5 on that drive.)
2. that before installing 10.5.1, I moved the original 115 GB hard drive on the successful G4 to the slower buss and put two Seagate 320 GB drives on the faster buss previously occupied only by the original 115 GB hard drive.
3. I have not checked to see if the ram chips on the two G4’s are exactly identical manufacture, etc. Also have not compared every detail in System Profiler to determine if build number, etc. are identical.
To test the effect of drive position on the problem G4 MDD, I moved the original 115 MB hard drive to the slower buss, and put the Seagate target drive in the Master position on the faster buss cable. An Erase and Install attempt failed. Error message: “The installer could not verify the ‘BaseSystem’ package. Three folders were installed on this attempt. “BaseSystem.pkg.152.Mrqnl2” of zero KB, “Library” of zero KB, and “private” of 64 MB. On a previous attempt, the BaseSystem folder was about 292 Mb.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to avoid the first thirty questions clarifying things I missed.
I would appreciate your help. Thanks.
I am running Mac OS X 10.2.1 (6R73) on the original hard drive.
I am attempting to install Leopard 10.5.1 from an Apple DVD. (The Family 5 pack license) and have not been successful despite many attempts.
The Apple Studio display is connected to an Apple issued video card. The Mac came with an Ultra SCSI card. I removed it.
I installed a new Seagate Barracuda 320 GB ATA/6 7200 RPM 3.5 16 MB on the same buss as the original hard drive. I did not move the original hard drive from its original position. The Seagate hard drive jumpers are set to Cable Select. This drive would not accept installation of Mac OS 10.5. It also would not Verify or Repair. “Invalid B-Tree Header” was an unrepairable error. I exchanged that drive for another identically rated drive, and began again.
I verified the 10.5.1 install disk media twice. No error messages. Visual inspection of disk shows some minor scuffs, but they were on the disk when received. The disk package was sealed.
I have formatted the target drive using Apple Disk Utility--the Mac OS 10.2.1. compatible version. It has passed the Verify routine many times.
I have run the “Install New System and the “Erase and Install” many times.
I have run a CD/DVD lens cleaning disk once. No help.
System preferences set to Never sleep. Screen saver turned off. Not connected to any network during install attempts.
No other PCI cards or any other modifications to the machine.
I created a new Administrator account, logged in and attempted an install. Install failed. Error message: Cannot validate “BaseSystem’ package.
On some install attempts, some files were written to the target hard drive but not enough to constitute a functional system “Install Failed” message appears after about 2-4 minutes.
On other attempts, the install would hang in less than 2-4 minutes.
I have an identical PowerMac G4 MDD dual processor 1.25 Ghz, 1.024 GB Ram, with 115 GB internal hard drive on which the 10.5 DVD Leopard disk installed on an identical Seagate 320 GB hard drive on the first attempt. Both G4’s were purchased new on the same date from the same retailer.
The only differences between my two G4 MDD’s are:
1. that the problem G4 is running 10.2.1 on the original hard drive, and the working G4 is running 10.2.8 on the original hard drive. (I am not attempting to install 10.5 on that drive.)
2. that before installing 10.5.1, I moved the original 115 GB hard drive on the successful G4 to the slower buss and put two Seagate 320 GB drives on the faster buss previously occupied only by the original 115 GB hard drive.
3. I have not checked to see if the ram chips on the two G4’s are exactly identical manufacture, etc. Also have not compared every detail in System Profiler to determine if build number, etc. are identical.
To test the effect of drive position on the problem G4 MDD, I moved the original 115 MB hard drive to the slower buss, and put the Seagate target drive in the Master position on the faster buss cable. An Erase and Install attempt failed. Error message: “The installer could not verify the ‘BaseSystem’ package. Three folders were installed on this attempt. “BaseSystem.pkg.152.Mrqnl2” of zero KB, “Library” of zero KB, and “private” of 64 MB. On a previous attempt, the BaseSystem folder was about 292 Mb.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to avoid the first thirty questions clarifying things I missed.
I would appreciate your help. Thanks.
Mac 8500, Mac OS X (10.5.1)
